Nontraditional higher education is a movement toward increasing the options open to an individual in the pursuit of post secondary education. Its major emphasis is in recognition of individual differences and making institutions more flexible in response to them. This paper describes many programs and proposals throughout the country, giving…

This document focuses on improving the writing and execution of learning contracts at Empire State College. Emphasis is placed on student purposes and background, organization of learning contracts, continuity and incrementability, diversity and variety, unity and intensiveness, compatibility with the discipline, time requirements, bibliography…

The Pennsylvania State University Commission on External Degree Programs studied the context of and the mandate for external degree programs at Penn State. Recommendations cover six areas: (1) Establishment of Extended Degree Programs for parttime students; (2) Establishment of admission, residency and graduation requirements for parttime degree…

The history of Pioneer Community College (Kansas City, Missouri) is described, as is its modular, competency-based innovative curriculum. Although the college has no campus, no set curriculum, and no full-time faculty, it expects a spring 1976 enrollment of 6000 students. (NHM)

Describes a Family Nurse Practitioner Program that has effectively improved the distribution of primary health care manpower in rural areas. Program characteristics include selection of personnel from areas of need, decentralization of clinical and didactic training sites, competency-based portable curriculum, and circuit-riding institutionally…

An Open University tutor in the arts describes the experience of conducting conference call tutorials for groups of up to eight students taking a correspondence-type course. Specific techniques are discussed: initial approach designed to make individual students at ease, ways of getting all students involved in dialogue, etc. (JT)

A case study in the planning for a possible distance-study system in Germany. Three project areas are described (the Quadringa radio colleges, the German Institute of Distance Study, and multi-media study teams in universities). Efforts to establish a national system are analyzed and compared to the development of Britain's Open University. (JT)

Information is provided on degree candidates enrolled with the Connecticut Board of State Academic Awards, an external degree program, and includes demographic characteristics, employment data, educational background, and examinations utilized. Based on the information, implications for higher education for nontraditional students are offered.…

The University without Walls at the University of Minnesota is an alternative program for adult students pursuing a baccalaureate degree. To help these students evaluate their past job- and home-related learning experiences, the university offers a degree-planning seminar to illustrate the concept of process education. (MF)

Discusses the part that student advisory services play in helping students to use the university regarding its educational opportunities, levels of Open University study including its structure and system, and the opportunities for self-assessment. Also considers the development of counseling policy and its part in assisting the adult student in…

A comparison study between the 371 graduates of FIU's External Degree Program and a randomly-selected sample of graduates from the traditional on-campus degree programs is reported. Key factors to success are acceptance to graduate study, career advancement, and attitudes toward goal attainment. (Author/LBH)

An evaluation of the nonresident Master of Arts program in Elementary Education offered by the University of Northern Colorado supports the thesis that quality programs can be offered in a nontraditional setting and without significantly affecting on-campus enrollments. (Author/MLW)